Vikings drop the “L” word

Posted by Mike Florio on November 30, 2010, 4:37 PM EDT

AP

With the Vikings preparing for what could be their last push toward getting a new stadium built in Minnesota, the man in charge of the franchise’s efforts has invoked the name of a place that could send shock waves through Minnesota.

Los Angeles.

John Vomhof Jr. of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports that Vikings Vice President of Stadium Development and Public Affairs Lester Bagley confirmed during an online chat that the team has been approached by the two groups that want to bring a team to Los Angeles.

One group, led by Ed Roski, wants to build a stadium in City of Industry. The other, led by Tim Leiweke and Casey Wasserman, wants to build a stadium in downtown L.A. Leiweke recently told ESPN that his group will defer to the NFL regarding the selection of the team that would move to L.A.

Though Bagley stressed that the Vikings want to find a stadium solution in Minnesota, Los Angeles provides them with leverage. And it also provides them with a viable alternative, if folks in Minnesota ultimately fail to authorize the use of public funds for a portion of the construction costs.

Either way, something needs to happen soon. The Vikings’ lease at the Metrodome expires after the 2011 season.

I hate it for loyal Vikings fans in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, but at this point they seem to me to be the most viable team to relocate to Los Angeles. The fact that they could be there by 2012, coupled with the reality that public funds in Minnesota probably won’t go to build a new Vikings stadium, puts them to the front of the pack in my estimation.

Who cares? In the end, these teams are businesses. They’ll go where ever they can make the most money. Period. If LA puts up a new stadium and enough money, they’ll get an NFL team. I think it makes more sense to move the Jags as they have no real support in an area that cares more about the SEC then the NFL but in the end money talks and BS walks.

Let’s face it; the Vikings have been trying to get a new stadium for years during a period in which the Twins, TWolves, and even UMinn all got new digs in the last decade. The Metrodome is not a viable option anymore and if the fans in Minnesota don’t think it’s important to build a football specific stadium they have no right to complain if they move to LA after the lease expires.

Perhaps teh Wilf’s will now take a moment to figure out that Mr. Bagley is the least regarded individual in the state of Minnesota.

Bagley is laughable and has been the butt more jokes than I can recall in professional circles in the Twin Cities.

The Wilf’s would be better off with a chimp as their stadium development “face”.

As with any development in the Twin City market, a credible front person is necessary and bagley has NEVER been assigned an ounce by anyone one in this town, or state.

As they did with their head coach, the Wilf’s would be well advised to do likewise with their stadium frontman, fire him, plug-in a credible replacement and provide that person some staff resources to get the deal done, because the glad hander they have in Bagley has done more to deter, delay and damage the effort to date on any stadium project.

As a Packer fan I can’t stand the Vikes, but I don’t want them to the leave Minnesota either. Its a great rivalry and their fans are passionate about their team. They’ve been there since what? 1960? They’re not asking the public to pick up the whole tab, only a portion. I hate all these additional taxes that we have too, but in this case you have to consider what an NFL team brings to your community. Honestly I’d look at Jacksonville or Carolina first if it must be an existing franchise.

“This is sabre rattling, nothing more, nothing less. The deal will get done.”

That’s what we said and have been watching crappy football ever since….can’t happen they said, can’t happen i said….how did that work out for us?????

“Extortion is alive and well in Minnesota.”

It’s alive and well in the NFL. Save yourself a lot of grief, cough up the extra cash for the stadium and move on. It’s a lot easier than the route we were forced to take and we approved the additional tax…now they are trying to take the greedy bast__d that moved our team into the hall of fame…it’s a twisted world…Browns Fan

I think the Jags would be a more common sense move, the fanbase is unenthusiastic about the pro ball club there.
At least in Minnesota they do have some semblance of a following even if the ranks are loaded with douches such as Pervy Harvin and Robert Ethen.
I’d rather the vikings continue to suck in Minnesota so that the fans can continue talking trash even though they’ve never won a superbowl. 😉

It won’t hurt my feelings to see them leave here and skewer some other city for a few bucks. Me? I’ll just get the NFL Total Package and pick a team to follow. Whoever I pick will probably be more fun to watch than the Nancy boys that Minnesota puts on the field right now anyway…

Why don’t the Vikings pay for their own damn stadium. Its ridiculous that teams hold cities and taxpayers hostage for stadium funding. I hope Minnesota takes a stand and refuses to pay. Spend the hundreds of millions on education or something actually useful to the citizens of Minnesota.

drbob117 says:
Nov 30, 2010 4:57 PM
Let’s face it; the Vikings have been trying to get a new stadium for years during a period in which the Twins, TWolves, and even UMinn all got new digs in the last decade.
———-

Target Center (t-wolves) was built in 1990 – it underwent renovation in 2004 (new seats, new scoreboard, etc), but I would hardly call that building “new.”

“While there are certainly tremendous challenges and other priorities, the one issue that brought candidates for office together was creating jobs, and as you know, this will create 13,000 jobs, including 7,500 construction jobs,” Bagley said.
—

It’s insanely frustrating when people talk about this being a “job creator.” A temporary construction gig is not a “job.” when the stadium’s completed, so is the “job.” the workers are left to the unemployment line while the Wilfs are left with their state-funded castle. sounds fair to me!

The governor(s) elect indicated they favored a stadium, and the GOP controlling house leaders recently indicated they’ll work on a stadium, so this is all posturing. And there’s going to be plenty of posturing about billionaire owners, LA, disloyal Viking fans, extortion, blah, blah, blah — all of which PFT will surely be eating up. Well, that and further reason to give unreasonable pack fans (not some of the reasonable ones above) another sharp stick to poke at Vike fans.

Sure, the NFL will permit a team to move that’s sold out every game since 1998, all while the Jags, Chargers, Raiders and Rams lack new stadiums and can’t even sell their stadiums out this year. Poll 32 NFL owners, and I bet every one of those teams is picked as a relocation candidate ahead of Minnesota.

nygiantstones, I respect your opinion but disagree. You have to remember that these large stadiums bring in a ton of revenue for local businesses, revenue which gets taxed and goes to help fund the things you mention. Not to mention they often host a lot of events other than just football games such as concerts, etc. that also generate revenue. Keep that in mind. Plus, the taxes I pay now probably go to programs I disagree with and/or may never reap the benefit of, but I have to pay. Shouldn’t we then accuse our government of holding us hostage? Like it or not, these stadiums benefit us.

Do you folks remember an NBA team named the Lakers, they didn’t get their nickname from Los Angeles, but from the Land of 10,000 Lakes….wish you had em’ back instead of the poor excuse for a franchise you have now?

I would love nothing more than having another new stadium in MN. The Vikes deserve it, but it is hard to justify spending $350 to $500 million of public funding when we are in the defecit that we are. The obvious resolution is to nullify our gambling agreements and open a state owned casino/racino. Those profits can be used for a lot of really good things

So glad to see everyone is still uneducated on the Jaguars’ situation. Does no blackouts in 2010 mean anything to anyone?

Not a single blackout has occurred to date this season in Jacksonville, so to say they have no fan support is simply ignorant. One poor season of ticket sales coupled with the national media jumping down their throats and this is what happens.

As much as I hate the Vikings, I love the rivalry between them and Green Bay and would never want to see them leave Minnesota. That being said, it was obvious to many of us that if and when the Favre experiment failed in the Twin Cities, there was a very real possibility that the Vikes could end up in L.A.

Last season the addition of Favre to the Vikings offense immediately upgraded their status to contender. IMO, the Vikings would have destroyed Indy in the Super Bowl had they not (quite literally) fumbled the NFC Championship away to the Saints. However, even during the playoffs the Vikes had trouble selling out the Metrodome. It started becoming obvious that only by winning the Lombardi would there be enough momentum to get a new stadium deal done. When it was inevitibly rejected, the Vikings pulled out all stops to try to recapture last season’s magic, to the point of signing veteran cancer Randy Moss to a four game stint on the roster.

However, none of that mattered. Favre has played like a 41 year old has-been all season, Moss mouthed his way off the team, and the locker room rebelled against the coach who (up until this season) improved the team by two wins each season he was there until they got to the NFC Championship. Now you have a franchise in free-fall, a disenchanted fanbase and no hope of getting a stadium deal done. Extortion only works if the one being extorted has something to lose, and unfortunately there is not enough support for the Vikes in Minnesota for the city to offer to throw down a few hundred million in the midst of one of the worst economies the U.S. has faced since the Great Depression.

The fact is, it is not the fans who keep shutting out the Vikings. It is the stupid government officials we have!! Why let the Twins and even the stupid college Gophers get new stadiums but not the Vikings!!?? It is ridiculous and the Vikings should get one!!

I had to read the article to figure out what the L word is. At first I thought it was for Losers but then why would PFT write an article about the Viking fans. Then I thought it might be for Lousy, an apt description of the team’s play. Then I thought it might be Laughingstock, a word the rest of the NFL uses in describing the Vikings begging a 41 year old washed up QB to come back one last season to add to his INT totals.

Since Ziggy has to commute to see his team play, I am sure he would rather just fly over Minneapolis on his way to LA. The weather is better, the fans will actually buy season tickets and he doesn’t have to beg the idiots the good people of Minnesota elect to public office.

And yes the Lakers were originally in MN, so why MN keeps letting our teams go is ridiculous!! The Lakers left and did great, the North Stars left and did great and in return we got 2 crappy teams. Losing the Vikings would be a huge mistake!!

Why in the World would you all think that Jacksonville would be a suiter for the Los Angeles team? Please remember we arent the one’s struggling to SellOut tickets for our games. Please check your facts first.

Unfortunately, the problem much like with the Lakers and North Stars before them is that the liberal majority amongst politicians in this state are not the die hard sports fans that those in the general public are. The fans/general public would approve these stadium bills in a heartbeat. It’s the liberal majority that has all the power though. They blamed Pawlenty. Pawlenty is one man in a liberal majority that is right up there with California and New York. Pawlenty’s vote is no different than mine in a land of liberals. Pawlenty can’t just push through what he wants, ihe has to get approval from the majority.

Noooo!! The Vikes can’t leave Minnesota! Pack and Bears fans wouldn’t have the delusional Viking fans to verbally bash anymore and that would take all the fun out of things. Let them keep sucking in Minnesota!! 🙂

Honestly though, I don’t see this actually happening. There’s other teams that can’t sell out their games that would be more viable options. Also, NFL teams just don’t go over well in LA – it’s been proven more than once.

Why can’t the Vikes play at the new stadium they built for the Gophers? UM not willing to share their new digs? We are going through the same BS here in San Diego!! Except here the city didn’t want to give up the land to the Chargers, even though a new stadium would have built with almost no public money!

Why should tax payers foot the bill Ziggy needs to sell his Lear and the new Hanger he had built for it in NJ between the twot that would be about
75 or 80 Million its his team let him pay for it.

Blah blah blah jobs blah blah blah colect taxes

Guess what boys and girls they tore down Giant Stadium and the State never ever broke even

That was with two NFL teams concerts sold out all the time college Football and lacrosse and Scoccer
So to hear it said let the tax payers build it I say no
The Giants and the pets paid for the new place the state gave them the land and some road work
That is fair to build anything for a guy that has a Lear Jet and an 18 million dollar hanger in NJ the guy is a carpet bagger he live in NJ

“I would love nothing more than having another new stadium in MN. The Vikes deserve it, but it is hard to justify spending $350 to $500 million of public funding when we are in the defecit that we are.”

Perhaps you guys could sell lottery tickets to fund the new stadium? Top-Four winners get flown down the Mississippi next August to beg Favre to come back.

The Vikings will stay in MN, TV market is too big to lose. The NFL is all to familiar with the NHL’s North Star mistake years ago and won’t duplicate the same basic error.
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LA is a much bigger TV market, idiot, and they’ve lost not one, but three teams.

Franchises do not relocate based on tv coverage. they do not relocate based on a lack of fan support, although the Vikings certainly have that problem as well.

Franchises relocate based on stadium issues. That was true of the Rams, Raiders twice, Browns, Colts, and even the South Stars. Either a deal gets done, or you’ll need to find a Spanish equivalent for “skol”. Not that many Minnesotans seem to mind that prospect.

Real fans will pay to keep their team competitive. Green Bay had Lambaeu renovated by having the taxpayers of Brown County pay there fair share. An increase in the sales tax was instituted and hardly a peep by a real fan base. Wilf is only asking for a portion to be paid for not the whole damn thing. Minnesota certainly can leverage a similar deal and also keep the team around for a long, long time.

Anyone that does anything other than watch sports know that the Twin Cities is in the top 5 of most intelligent cities every year…is there any question why we won’t pay for a new stadium for these guys. The twins had been playing in a football stadium for 28 years and the gophers played 2 miles off campus…those stadiums were a no-brainer. Vikes should be happy they have been selling out all these years and cough some stadium capital and get this thing built! LA move will go bad in 3 years max…too many other options out there.

1) They have a lease through 2030
2) They are selling more season tickets right now than any other franchise
3) They do not need a new stadium.
4) They are filling the stands.
5) The owner has stated numerous times that the Jaguars are not going anywhere.

I know that this website beats the Jaguars down, but a fact is a fact, and all five of those above are facts.

The Jaguars are staying in Jacksonville. Check your stats before you post.

First of all kudos on using a “z” at the end of rulz. I know the english language and society want you to use an “es”, but you don’t care. You play by your own rules…er rulz.

Secondly, the main issue is that we aren’t talking about renovating. We’re talking about building. That means there are dozens of Political obstacles before the team/state can even select a building site. When a site is selected, then they have to secure funding. People in the “outstate” portion of MN aren’t in love with public funding because they dont want the stadium in the heart of the Metro. The Metro residents and local governments don’t want to let the Vikes leave the metro. Therefore, we can’t agree on dick.
This will be a dificult concept I’m sure, but people in Minnesota live in permenant houses, with block foundations. We can’t back our el camino up and tow our house to the next Viking location. Between our permamnent residency, and our full-time employment, maybe we don’t have time to be a “real fanbase” as you like to point out.
Have another disgusting Miller Lite, turn on your ’97 Packer Highlights Tapes, and grope your sons girlfriend.

It’s insanely frustrating when people talk about this being a “job creator.” A temporary construction gig is not a “job.” when the stadium’s completed, so is the “job.” the workers are left to the unemployment line while the Wilfs are left with their state-funded castle. sounds fair to me!
=================================
I’m not a smart guy or anything, but aren’t ALL construction jobs essentially temporary and ultimately leave the workers at the unemployment line at the completion of said job while someone else benefits?

I bet if you asked those 7,500 construction workers, they’d happily take a job lasting two or three years vs. not having anything.

As for using tax payer money, that’s really for the voters to decide. Do it, don’t do it, but don’t complain if the team leaves in favor of a city that does.

If the Vikings want out, all they have to do work with LA and get a couple poison pills inserted into the contract. You know, stipulate that 60% of the games have to be played within 20 miles of the pacific ocean or some such, then claim they gave Minnesota a good-faith opportunity to match.

Just ask Hutch and Ziggy. They know how this works. Class acts all the way.

Classless organization from the top down. They couldn’t buy enough free agents to field a winning team to increase fan support and support for a new stadium, now they are using threats to strong arm the taxpayers to foot the bill for a multi-millionaire. Let them leave. Actually there are more Broncos, Chiefs , and even Packer fans in ND, SD, and Iowa than Viking fans due to the last two incompetent ownership groups.

I live in Los Angeles and Im sorry but we had 2 shots at an NFL team and let both of them go. For some reason Los Angeles is NOT a football town. Sure we have USC and UCLA and to most thats good enough. LA is a Laker and Dodger town. A city needs to have a connection with its team so just bringing in a team to LA doesnt mean that it will immediately have a fan base. If there is no connection to the team then whats the point?

Houston and Cleveland swore that they were not going to be held hostage by their former teams and more or less dared them to relocate, which they both did, and what happened? That’s right, they both built new stadiums in order to attract EXPANSION teams. Why don’t the citizens of Minnesota go ahead and build a new stadium, which we all know is what will happen when the Vikings leave, and get over it. I know the Vikings suck big time, but at least they are not an expansion team.

“dchuwo says:
Nov 30, 2010 5:38 PM
nygiantstones, I respect your opinion but disagree. You have to remember that these large stadiums bring in a ton of revenue for local businesses, revenue which gets taxed and goes to help fund the things you mention. Not to mention they often host a lot of events other than just football games such as concerts, etc. that also generate revenue. Keep that in mind. Plus, the taxes I pay now probably go to programs I disagree with and/or may never reap the benefit of, but I have to pay. Shouldn’t we then accuse our government of holding us hostage? Like it or not, these stadiums benefit us.
”

AHHH yes, the economic impact myth. Maybe there are some studies out there I haven’t seen. But everything I’ve seen on the subject is that stadiums provide little economic benefit.

In sum: “no recent facility appears to have earned anything approaching a reasonable return on investment and no recent facility has been self-financing in terms of its impact on net tax revenues. . . . only 5 percent to 10 percent of those attending games live elsewhere. Local fans divert their outlays from other leisure activities and other areas within the region . . . Thus, government stadium “investments” have consistently generated meager results. Robert Baade and Allen Sanderson looked at a dozen metropolitan areas for The Heartland Institute and found no net employment hike. Separately Baade reviewed 36 cities and found no net statistical increase in economic growth.”

Check your facts before you make a azzclown of yourself on here. The Jaguars do not need a new stadium because they had a new stadium built when Jacksonville was awarded a team 17 years ago today !! That’s right, The Jaguars and the Panthers are only 17 years old , This community is still growing as is our fan base . The team has a lease through 2030, Ticket sales are up, We have a new sponsor for our stadium and the arrow is pointing up. I am also so sick about hearing LA is getting this team or that team or whatever !!They had two teams , Failed to support either one, Lost both of them and now some shady operators want to steal a team from another city to relive the already failed experiment of LA. No one in LA gives a tinkers damn about the NFL, NO ONE !!

packrulzm says:
Nov 30, 2010 6:26 PM
Real fans will pay to keep their team competitive. Green Bay had Lambaeu renovated by having the taxpayers of Brown County pay there fair share.
================
Problem, MN does not have real fans, they have argueably the worst fans in all of pro sports!!!

Also, the Packers got overwhelming support when renovating Lambeau, but the taxpayers also got that money back according to the stadium district. You think horrible Viking fans are going to support a bad franchise knowing they will neve get their money back?

This is just a threat to make something happen in Minnesota. How does a bankrupt state like California come up with public funding to build a billion dollar stadium?? They don’t. When it comes to allocating public money this stadium won’t even be built.

Problem, MN does not have real fans, they have argueably the worst fans in all of pro sports!!!

————————————————-
I may be one of “the worst fans in all of pro sports” but I have a nice 401k, 50″ HDTV, and central heat in my home that does not require me to run a chainsaw and skidder half the summer.

So while you may have the Packers in your state for many years to come, you also have a three bedroom rambler with seven people living in it, a 14 year old Chevy Silverado with 175,000 miles on it, and a drinking problem.

kevin0822 says:
Nov 30, 2010 10:11 PM
This is just a threat to make something happen in Minnesota. How does a bankrupt state like California come up with public funding to build a billion dollar stadium?? They don’t. When it comes to allocating public money this stadium won’t even be built.
===============================================
Don’t need public money if you have private investors.

This will be a dificult concept I’m sure, but people in Minnesota live in permenant houses, with block foundations. We can’t back our el camino up and tow our house to the next Viking location. Between our permamnent residency, and our full-time employment, maybe we don’t have time to be a “real fanbase” as you like to point out.
____________

We all know the excuses for Viking fans only being fans for half of the year are both numerous and ludicrous, but this is one of the worst I’ve heard to date.

So, you need to live in a trailer and be unemployed to go to football games now? I think every team’s fans (except Tampa of course) will disagree with that. You are aware that far more people in this country live in houses and apartments than Airstream campers right? And you know that the Packers are not the only team that has a loyal following, right? Utterly pathetic.
___

superbowlhomeboy says:

I may be one of “the worst fans in all of pro sports” but I have a nice 401k, 50″ HDTV, and central heat in my home that does not require me to run a chainsaw and skidder half the summer.
____________

superbowlhomeboy says:
Nov 30, 2010 10:46 PM
Problem, MN does not have real fans, they have argueably the worst fans in all of pro sports!!!

————————————————-
I may be one of “the worst fans in all of pro sports” but I have a nice 401k, 50″ HDTV, and central heat in my home that does not require me to run a chainsaw and skidder half the summer.

So while you may have the Packers in your state for many years to come, you also have a three bedroom rambler with seven people living in it, a 14 year old Chevy Silverado with 175,000 miles on it, and a drinking problem.
————
Arguably the worst fans in all of pro sports huh? Yea ok I can argue you on that one. Try to seperate your baseless opinions from facts when trying to come up with an argument. This thread had a sense of respect until you showed up and threw whatever garbage you had in your head at the time. Do us all a favor, dont post anymore.

“dchuwo says:
Nov 30, 2010 5:38 PM
nygiantstones, I respect your opinion but disagree. You have to remember that these large stadiums bring in a ton of revenue for local businesses, revenue which gets taxed and goes to help fund the things you mention. Not to mention they often host a lot of events other than just football games such as concerts, etc. that also generate revenue. Keep that in mind. Plus, the taxes I pay now probably go to programs I disagree with and/or may never reap the benefit of, but I have to pay. Shouldn’t we then accuse our government of holding us hostage? Like it or not, these stadiums benefit us.
”

AHHH yes, the economic impact myth. Maybe there are some studies out there I haven’t seen. But everything I’ve seen on the subject is that stadiums provide little economic benefit.

In sum: “no recent facility appears to have earned anything approaching a reasonable return on investment and no recent facility has been self-financing in terms of its impact on net tax revenues. . . . only 5 percent to 10 percent of those attending games live elsewhere. Local fans divert their outlays from other leisure activities and other areas within the region . . . Thus, government stadium “investments” have consistently generated meager results. Robert Baade and Allen Sanderson looked at a dozen metropolitan areas for The Heartland Institute and found no net employment hike. Separately Baade reviewed 36 cities and found no net statistical increase in economic growth.”

—————————————————

Thank you for bringing up Robert Baade. It saves me the trouble of explaining exactly what kind of “economist” he is. So now that we know that this guy is anti-sports stadium, let us examine a little closer….

He co-authored a study for European Sport Management Quarterly in 2006 in which he was forced to grudgingly admit that the typical increase in local economic activity for a city hosting the Super Bowl was around $90 million. That’s one game and a lot of zeros.

Kathleen Davis, executive director of Sport Management Research Institute, attacks the findings of Baade and his colleagues, saying “They’re not capturing the local spending habits and they focus on whatever factors will justify their arguments.” For example, Baade’s heyday was his attack on the economic impact reports of the Browns moving to Baltimore. He chose not to debate the figure totals, but instead compared them to existing revenues and incomes in Baltimore and the state of Maryland, citing that these figures would represent less than 1% of total state tax revenue and gross local revenue. His whole argument was based on the fact that $100 million or so is not very meaningful when compared to the billions already existing. But if we are discussing the economic benefit to the city and state to the cost of acquiring the team, then the estimated tens to hundreds of millions that the franchise was predicted to bring with it each year made the acquisition very profitable.

But let’s forget about the he said, she said about economists and their personal agendas, and use common sense. Here’s a starting figure for you. The state income tax on 53 men making in excess of $100 million annually over the next 25 years. That entire amount of state income tax leaves when a professional football team leaves. Start with that figure when we discuss the economic impact on the state.

Minnesota has great fans. That’s why they have a team in every major pro sport as well as top highschool and college sports.

In Green Bay they have the Packers and nothing else. Madison has the Badgers and nothing else. Milwaukee has the Brewers and Bucks, not much.

What else is there? Fat farm girls?

The Twin Cities have it all. Vikings, Timberwolves (Rambis is implimenting the Triangle Offense and making them fun to watch again.) , Lynx (Whalen, Augustus, Wiggins, Hornbuckle, Houston, etc. They won the lotterry so Maya Moore is on the way. Like an NCAA All-Star team.) Wild (Much like Wolves, new coaching staff making a difference.) , Gophers (Champs in Wrestling and Hockey and better than average in Baseball and Basketball. Football team hasn’t won a National Championship in decades but like with the Vikes and their Super Bowl futility, the fans still show up.), etc. MN Duluth, St. Cloud State, U of MN – Mankato, etc. have joined the Gophers as hockey powers. Augsburg and St. Johns are football powerhouses.

When the Vikings move to L.A., I hope they bring Pervy with them. It would add so much to the entertainment value!
======================================
I was dropped into L.A. once. But I was naked. Had to beat up some punks and steal their leather jacket.Some hag named Sarah smashed me in a hydraulic press.Never going back…

packrulzm says:Problem, MN does not have real fans, they have argueably the worst fans in all of pro sports!!!
====================================
Did you look at thee last 2 Pack threads?? Like 12 posts combined…and you say we are terrible fans? You don’t support the Pack,you support hating the Mighty Vikings!!

cusoman…..I can agree with your “when hell freezes over” take on becoming a Packer fan.If the Vikings left(and you and I both know they WON’T) I would be a man without a team.Would suck. Not worried though,NFL needs the MN Vikings in MN. LA would be a flop….

First of all kudos on using a “z” at the end of rulz. I know the english language and society want you to use an “es”, but you don’t care. You play by your own rules…er rulz.
__________________________________

The Vikings does have great fans. Great fans. But the reason why the Vikings are at the top of the list in LA is because the lease is expiring. LA can have a football team in 2 seasons! And it’s the least expensive option. Plus, the Vikings are a good product.

And the Vikings? There are over 9 Million people in LA County alone. It’s just a little less than the entire populations of MN, IA, ND and SD put together. All in one county!

That means not just more tickets, but more jerseys, caps, advertising dollars and other money coming to the Wilfs.

If it’s just a business decision, the Wilfs doesn’t even have to think about it.

This doesn’t make any sense unless the LA interests are self financing the stadiums. California is in terrible fiscal shape with numerous programs and services being scaled back or cut entirely. Any request for state funding on a sports stadium is DOA in Sacramento.

Threats from team owners don’t go over very well in Minnesota. Just ask the Pohlad family; they threatened to move and/or contract the team for years. Minnesotans told them to shove it where the sun don’t shine. The Pohlad’s changed their tune, showed a commitment to the state, and an agreement was reached.

superbowlhomeboy says:
“I may be one of “the worst fans in all of pro sports” but I have a nice 401k, 50″ HDTV, and central heat in my home that does not require me to run a chainsaw and skidder half the summer.”
——————-

Dude, we all know Minnesota is the most pathetic state in the country, but is this how bad it’s gotten?

maverick says
“The Twin Cities have it all. Vikings, Timberwolves (Rambis is implimenting the Triangle Offense and making them fun to watch again.) , Lynx (Whalen, Augustus, Wiggins, Hornbuckle, Houston, etc. They won the lotterry so Maya Moore is on the way. Like an NCAA All-Star team.) Wild (Much like Wolves, new coaching staff making a difference.) , Gophers (Champs in Wrestling and Hockey and better than average in Baseball and Basketball. Football team hasn’t won a National Championship in decades but like with the Vikes and their Super Bowl futility, the fans still show up.), etc. MN Duluth, St. Cloud State, U of MN – Mankato, etc. have joined the Gophers as hockey powers. Augsburg and St. Johns are football powerhouses”
—————-

ruvelligwebuike says:
Dec 1, 2010 5:23 PM
maverick says
“The Twin Cities have it all. Vikings, Timberwolves (Rambis is implimenting the Triangle Offense and making them fun to watch again.) , Lynx (Whalen, Augustus, Wiggins, Hornbuckle, Houston, etc. They won the lotterry so Maya Moore is on the way. Like an NCAA All-Star team.) Wild (Much like Wolves, new coaching staff making a difference.) , Gophers (Champs in Wrestling and Hockey and better than average in Baseball and Basketball. Football team hasn’t won a National Championship in decades but like with the Vikes and their Super Bowl futility, the fans still show up.), etc. MN Duluth, St. Cloud State, U of MN – Mankato, etc. have joined the Gophers as hockey powers. Augsburg and St. Johns are football powerhouses”
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There is just too much patheticism in this post to break it down.
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Why would you even bother to though? Thats the question. Someone is just pointing out all the stuff there is to to in the Twin Cities as well as surrounding areas. Is it your job to come on here and just bash someone who is proud of the area? What grade are you in?

Agreed. Take Mn-Duluth…. Defending D-II football champs, Women’s hockey has multiple D-I championships the last decade and the men are right up there every year. Not bad for a little town. I don’t see Wi-Green bay flying that many flags.

“Please everybody…stop putting Jacksonville in these discussion.”
Read as: “Because it is very uncomfortable for us in JVille.”

“1) They have a lease through 2030”
Which has an opt clause if the team can show the Jaguars have lost money in three consecutive seasons they can leave.

“2) They are selling more season tickets right now than any other franchise”
Thanks to reduced pricing and special financing which still leaves the team needing to sell about 3000 tickets a game to sell out. Which the team buys back at a reduced rate thus creating a ‘sell-out”.

“3) They do not need a new stadium.”
According to who? Are there not a large number of seats tarped over? And a look at the revenue lists on Forbes, they are at number 32. The teams with the most revenue have new stadiums. So the NFL may see things differently than you do.

“4) They are filling the stands.”
Really? According to ESPN attendance figures the Jags are number 23 in home attendance. They average 63,037 in a 67 k seat stadium. (Not including the tarped over seats.)

“5) The owner has stated numerous times that the Jaguars are not going anywhere.”
And this is your only true fact. Indeed Mr Weaver will hold on to the city. However with a sale to another owner, all bets are off.

“The Jaguars are staying in Jacksonville.”
Maybe.

“Check your stats before you post.”
Good advice. You should follow it.

maverick says
“The Twin Cities have it all. Vikings, Timberwolves (Rambis is implimenting the Triangle Offense and making them fun to watch again.) , Lynx (Whalen, Augustus, Wiggins, Hornbuckle, Houston, etc. They won the lotterry so Maya Moore is on the way. Like an NCAA All-Star team.) Wild (Much like Wolves, new coaching staff making a difference.) , Gophers (Champs in Wrestling and Hockey and better than average in Baseball and Basketball. Football team hasn’t won a National Championship in decades but like with the Vikes and their Super Bowl futility, the fans still show up.), etc. MN Duluth, St. Cloud State, U of MN – Mankato, etc. have joined the Gophers as hockey powers. Augsburg and St. Johns are football powerhouses”
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You TOTALLY forgot Brock Lesnar, which is probably most recent champ you have for the next 35 years.

The NFL is implementing new schedule “flexing” rules effective this Sunday.

All noon games will be pushed back to 3 to avoid competition with the exciting matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and the Los Angeles Sparks. All eyes will be on the Lynx exciting lineup of former NCAA Women’s basketball stars.

NBC’s Sunday night coverage has been moved to Tuesday for this week as the defending national champion UM-Duluth Bulldogs women’s hockey team takes on the ever dangerous St. Cloud State. Get your popcorn ready!

Also, Minnesota’s regional ratings were sky-high last weekend as both the Ohio State and Wisconsin battles for the Big Ten Championship were blacked out in favor of Augsburg v. Morningside College (Iowa) and St. John’s v. St. Olaf. The nation has spoken, and their begging for more action!

As Los Angeleno, I’d love an NFL team here. Greed made the Chargers and Rams leave, not lack of support. The Raiders were immensely popular, but they were Oakland’s team and Al Davis is insane anyways. It sucks that franchises can just up and move, ripping the hearts out of fans and the local businesses who invested a lot into the franchises.

I’d prefer an expansion team over moving a team from another city. We lost three, and it sucked. Well, maybe we can trade the Clippers for another NFL team.

Problem, MN does not have real fans, they have argueably the worst fans in all of pro sports!!!

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I may be one of “the worst fans in all of pro sports” but I have a nice 401k, 50″ HDTV, and central heat in my home that does not require me to run a chainsaw and skidder half the summer.

So while you may have the Packers in your state for many years to come, you also have a three bedroom rambler with seven people living in it, a 14 year old Chevy Silverado with 175,000 miles on it, and a drinking problem.
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I’m trying to figure out what is more pathetic than this post and I can’t decide if it is the fact you brag about those things or the fact you find those things impressive???

Couple more things more pathetic is those excuses of football teams you people put out and make the Badgers and Packers waste their time kicking their arses.

Another is a Viking fan with the word superbowl in his name……that cracks me up!!!

–Oh, Whitewater has a team. Joe Panos, who played OG for Buffalo Bills for a few years, played at Whitewater before transferring to UW, then getting drafted by Buffalo.

As a Sconny native living here in MinnySOEdtah the past 8 years, I’m very torn about the Vikes staying or leaving.

If they move to LA, then hopefully I’ll be able to get all the Packer games on regular tv every year (or would they show the Bears games?) Plus then I don’t have to go on dealing with the fair-weathered, blowhard “fans” here. Every team has them, including the Packers, but it’s just such a high percentage of them here. Don’t get me wrong, there is a die hard, core group of “true” Vikings fans in the state whom I do respect, and do feel bad for–they’d be the ones who would’ve showed up at the Met when they played outdoors and stayed for the whole game even if they’re losing by a fair margin, something you rarely see nowadays at the Metrodome.

But this is the point–I had respect for the “outdoor” Vikings playing at the Met in the Bud Grant era. I mean, that was what the NFC Central (North) division was all about! But ever since they build that Metrodome, everything tended to get fairweathered up here. The new stadium, if it’s built, will of course be indoors, unlike the stadiums of the Packers and the Bears, where it can get just as cold in the winter. So unless they were to build an outdoor stadium up here, where true fans are separated from fairweathered ones, I guess I hope they move to LA…where the fair weather is really fair weather, and not due to playing inside a dome.

Typical comments from Wisconsin transplants who live in Minnesota. What would you call all the Packer fans that filed for the exits at Lambeau in the 3rd quarter of the Vikings/Packers game in ’98 when Moss was running all over you? Pretty sure that’s the definition of fair-weather fans and the whole country got to see it.

It goes along with all the Packer fans coming out wearing green and gold at the beginning of the season but disappearing once they lose to the Vikings or their season isn’t going well. Pathetic.

The Vikings have never won a Super Bowl and have ripped the hearts out of us fans many times, yet we keep supporting them and always will. The Metrodome is a dump, yet we keep selling it out. It’s that loyalty that really gets under the skin of Packer fans. That’s why you see them trolling Vikings articles and spewing nonsense, hoping some sucker fans from other teams might actually believe them.

Dumbest, most innacurate post ever!!! Shocking it comes from a Viking fan….

PS. while attenting the most recent Packer/Viking game…..the home crowd was non existent after the 1st quarter…booed their own team(almost every home game including this year when you beat the lions) they also were empty in the 3rd quarter, and the loudest chant of the day was GO PACK GO!!! You might be the most ignorant, or bias poster here!!!

majikbullet – as though Lambeau Field doesn’t empty out in a blowout loss.
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I’m only in my mid 20s, only been to about 15 NFL games, been to 6 different stadiums, and I have NEVER seen any fans as bad as the Vikings, been to Solider Field and was SHOCKED at how respectful and friendly the Bears fans were, must be a mutual respect for teams that have good tradition, and have held a Lombardi trophy!

I’ve seen 6 Packer games at Lambeau, the Packers have only won 1 of those games, and a couple Favre led blowout losses, including a Xmas day games dominated by the Bears and I’ve never seen anything like I saw at the Bubble a few weeks back, it reassured me that their are no worse fans in all of Pro Sports! Not to mention the fact they were cussing and swearing at our team for 1 1/2 quarters and then decided to sit down and not say a word! I thought maybe I had a unfair bias against Vikes fans until I went back to the Dome for the first time in 3 years.

I forgot too that I’ve heard on at least 2 different occasions this year the NFL network commenting on how the MN fans boo their own team at home games…..having been at Lambeau for 5 “bad” losses I’ve never heard anything that resembles this inexcusable behavior for a fan! Home should be where you don’t have to worry about that, and if you are a Viking where you don’t have to hear chants of “Go Pack Go!”…..I believe Jarad Allen and Aaron Rodgers both commented on how that was the loudest chant of the game 🙂

If you don’t know anything about UW-Whitewater football it shows your ignorance!!!

Do some research!!!! If it was a joke…it was a very bad one!
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Yes, it was a joke. Well, part joke, part reminder that Minnesota holds the defending D-II champs (as opposed to the D-III Warhawks), so I guess I could have just said:

Mn-Duluth football > Wi-Whitewater football

Although it should be noted that the Warhawks wear purple….
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You are right on wearing purple…I hate it too…..I wore blue in college!!!

I think a lot of people who are familiar with both of these teams would say that Duluth vs Whitewater would be a excellent matchup…and Whitewater has been dominate along with Mt. Union for the entire decade in DIII…..how many Duluth players have went pro in the past decade and how many titles have they won????

The fact of the matter is that relatively few fans in LA really care about having an NFL team. They’d rather watch their hometown teams which they root for, on TV, which could be compromised with a local team that would get first priority on regional telecasts. The best thing that happened to many football fans in LA was when the Rams and Raiders left town. It allowed them to see their favorite teams on TV more. That’s the bottom line.

If you don’t know anything about UW-Whitewater football it shows your ignorance!!!

Do some research!!!! If it was a joke…it was a very bad one!
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Yes, it was a joke. Well, part joke, part reminder that Minnesota holds the defending D-II champs (as opposed to the D-III Warhawks), so I guess I could have just said:

Mn-Duluth football > Wi-Whitewater football

Although it should be noted that the Warhawks wear purple….
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You are right on wearing purple…I hate it too…..I wore blue in college!!!

I think a lot of people who are familiar with both of these teams would say that Duluth vs Whitewater would be a excellent matchup…and Whitewater has been dominate along with Mt. Union for the entire decade in DIII…..how many Duluth players have went pro in the past decade and how many titles have they won????
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Okay, I admit it, I’m partial to UMD, but that’s because I’m a former player. I like to think they could beat anyone, but I realize they are a different team now than they were when I played. I was there under Jim Malosky…..

NFL Masterminds- Clear out all the Viking fan base in MN, IA, ND, SD and put a 4th team in California in location that has already toppled twice but the third time is the charm.
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No. 2 TV market. its a television ad revenue driven league.

What dont you get about that? Lakers, Northstars left as well. San Diego may move there as well. L.A. Chargers AND L.A. Vikings are yet another possibility as there are two bids.